A Good Enough Reason
by temari13
Summary: Temari didn't know when she started liking Shikamaru. She didn't even know why she started liking him. In her eyes, he was a no good, lazy bum who was not interested in anything except watching clouds.


Disclaimer: this is only my 4th time writing this but I'm already tired of it. I do not own Naruto.

Temari didn't know when she started liking Shikamaru. She didn't even know why she started liking him. In her eyes, he was a no-good, lazy bum who was not interested in anything except watching clouds.

Temari had once tried cloud watching but had given up after two minutes. It took too much effort to stay still. She had no idea how he could be content to just lie there.  
She supposed that she was a free spirit who didn't like to sit and be quiet. Sure, she could do it, but she hated every second of it. Like that one time Gaara had requested --demanded, rather-- that she be present at a council meeting. The meeting had been boring and dragged on for two hours. By the time it was adjourned, she felt as if she had as much energy inside of her as the Energizer Bunny. Not to mention her jaw hurt from clenching it in an attempt to keep from screaming.

Shikamaru, on the other hand, would have fallen sleep during the meeting. Temari swore he could sleep anywhere in any position at any time.  
Temari first realized she liked him when they met again about two years after the Chunnin exam. He was to be a Chunnin examiner and she was the liaison. He said hello to her and she, much to her chagrin, could only stutter indecipherable words. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. Her cheeks flushed red and became even redder as he stared at her as if he was unable to believe she was even capable of blushing. He rolled his eyes and proclaimed "How troublesome." Her response was to hit him repeatedly on the head with her fan like he was a nail and her fan was the hammer.

Gradually, however, Temari grew to be more comfortable around him. She felt safe whenever she was with him. Maybe because he was too lazy to try anything. That opinion lasted until he used his Shadow Possession Jutsu on her and kissed her, therefore causing her to kiss him back. She learned that day to never underestimate a Nara, no matter how lazy they might appear to be.  
But he was younger than she was by three years, meaning that she had to take it slow and easy with him. If he had been willing, she would have slept with him the first time they kissed.

That was another thing she didn't understand. Why was she dating a younger man? Before meeting Shikamaru, she had always dated older men, ranging on age from two to six years older.

Although she and Shikamaru were dating, she couldn't help but notice a few older men, his sensei in particular. She had always had a fascination with men who smoked. She loved the taste of the tobacco on their lips. That was one reason she had kissed Asuma a year after she started dating Shikamaru.  
Needless to say, her boyfriend found them and nearly broke up with her until she revealed to him why she had kissed Asuma.  
The next time they saw each other was two months later and she found him on a hill, watching the puffy clouds drift by and smoking a cigarette.  
When he was asked why he started smoking, he stated it was so that she wouldn't have to kiss another man to get the taste of tobacco she craved. She didn't say anything about that.

Secretly, though, she was struck by how much he was willing to change for her.  
Their relationship wasn't always picture perfect. They had their share of fights and disagreements that almost always ended up with Temari attempting --and failing miserably-- to hit Shikamaru on the head with her fan, thanks to his Shadow Bind Jutsu.  
One time when she visited him, he gave her the shock of her life. He was breaking up with her because she was too controlling and he couldn't take it anymore. Everything had to be her way or the highway. She begged and pleaded for him to reconsider but he coolly brushed her aside and walked off.  
She slumped into depression and for the first time in months, drank herself into a stupor. She woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and discovered that she was in Shikamaru's room in his new house.

When the shadow ninja walked in minutes later to check on her, he found that she was gone, a plain piece of paper that said "Thank you" in blood red where she was supposed to be.

Being a genius, Shikamaru quickly deciphered that the "ink" she had used was actually blood. But he had grown tired and immune to her "if-you-break-up-with-me-I'll-kill-myself" attitude so he let it go. She never followed through with her threats.  
He nearly killed himself when Sakura informed him that Temari was in critical condition at the Konoha hospital.  
Both of her wrists had been slit and shy had lost a large amount of blood. Tsunade made no promises as to whether or not she would live.

The Nara visited her daily, though she was unconscious and completely unaware of his visits. But one day, when he walked in, sand immediately engulfed him, squeezing him so tightly he was sure he would die.  
Gaara began yelling at him, all the while waving a note in his hand. The world faded into black and he lost consciousness.

He woke up a few hours later and saw Kankuro pacing. The puppet master noticed he was awake and apologized for his brother's behavior.  
Shikamaru waved the apology aside and demanded to see the note that Gaara had been holding. Kankuro hesitantly handed it to him and Shikamaru read it. When he was finished, he buried his face in his hands and wept.  
The note had been addressed to him and in it, Temari had written that she was sorry for everything she had ever done to him. She also wrote that she was sorry for being a burden to everyone so she was going to kill herself and take away everyone's misery of having her around. At the very end, she had written "I love you, Shikamaru."

It was the very first time she had ever said that and he knew it might be that last.  
Kankuro decided that it would be best if Shikamaru didn't come to visit Temari anymore. And although it broke his heart, he realized that if he wanted to live, he would have to stay away. So he did.

Two weeks after that unfortunate incident, Shikamaru walked into his house after a two-day mission and found the Sand kunoichi asleep on his couch.  
He was shocked at first, to say the least. But then that shock faded into love as he gently brushed her blonde hair out of her face.  
Temari stirred slightly and opened her eyes. She smiled and reached up a hand to trace his jaw line, her eyes begging him to kiss her.  
He frowned, wondering if she was supposed to be out of the hospital. He said that he was dirty and wanted to take a shower.  
She pouted slightly but relented. He left too quickly to catch the mischievous grin that crept across her face.

Halfway through his shower, suds from his shampoo got into his eyes. He reached out a hand for his towel. Frowning, he groped around somewhere. He finally gave up in disgust and peeked his head out to locate the wayward towel.  
He nearly fainted when Temari stepped forward, his towel in her arms and a grin on her face. He swallowed hard when she quietly asked if she could join him since she hadn't had a real shower in days.

Being a man, he couldn't refuse her.

The next morning, they both awoke in each other's arms. Temari blushed prettily and buried her face in his chest, breathing in his scent. They stayed like that until Shikamaru grunted, complaining he was hungry. She asked what he was hungry for.  
With a smirk, he replied he was hungry for her.

Two months later he proposed. Gaara immediately said no. He had planned on having Temari marry a daimyo from the Country of Lightning in hopes of a treaty by marriage. Temari was crushed. She had finally found someone who loved her for who she was and would stand by her in anything she did. She wasn't about to let anyone --including Gaara-- snatch her happiness away.

That was why she quietly stole away one night a week before the wedding at breakneck speed to Konoha. By the time she arrived two days later, she was exhausted. It was 11:00 at night and she knew he'd be asleep but she didn't care. She needed to be with him.  
When she peered in through his window, she found, to her shock, he was still awake, staring at the engagement ring Gaara had returned for Temari. He was startled by a faint knocking on his front door. Figuring it was Ino coming to see him after a date gone bad, he ignored it.

Temari knocked one last time then decided that she was going in whether he liked it or not. She climbed to the roof and, to her great relief, found his window unlocked. She slipped in and crept down the stairs, avoiding the creaky spots.  
Temari was just reaching the last step when Shikamaru bumped into her. She stared up at him and asked, her voice quivering, why he was mad at her. He explained that he had thought she was Ino coming to bug him. He laughed when she muttered that it was just an excuse because he was too lazy to get up and see who it was.  
Smirking, he grabbed her by the waist, spun her around, and pushed her against the wall. He leaned down and whispered in her ear if she thought he was lazy now. She grinned and said yes, sticking her tongue out.

The next morning, Temari awoke to sounds of someone choking. To her horror, Gaara had discovered she was missing a few hours after she left and gave chase. Now he was determined to kill Shikamaru. Temari pleaded with Gaara, begging him to let Shikamaru go. The Kazekage wavered in his decision. Only when tears fell from his sister's eyes did he back down, realizing that he was causing her pain. He gave them his blessing.  
They were married three months later. The wedding was a huge event because it signified the treaty growing stronger. Temari had wanted a small wedding with their close friends but Naruto --he had become Hokage six months ago-- and Gaara had different ideas.

During the reception, Shikamaru fell asleep in his food. His best friend Chouji helped her sneak him away from the festivities and into his --their, she corrected herself-- house. When he woke up an hour later, she questioned him about why he had fallen asleep. He just grinned and said that he was saving energy so he could be up all night with her.  
They had decided that they wanted children right away. During the course of the next year, they tried unsuccessfully. Temari began to fear that perhaps she couldn't have children. She knew that he wanted two children, a girl then a boy, but now it seemed as if his dream wouldn't come true. It began to rip their marriage apart. Shikamaru started sleeping on the couch. They ceased talking, except for arguments. Their friends stayed silent, not wanting to get caught in the middle of the feud.

One night, Shikamaru came home and discovered his wife sitting on the edge of the bathtub, crying. His sharp eyes surveyed the scene. A flood of relief washed over him when nothing was misplaced. He knelt beside her and asked gently what was wrong. She looked up, tears shining in her green eyes, and pressed something in his hand. He gave her a curious look before lifting the item up. His eyes lit up as he saw a pink line on the pregnancy test. He gave a whoop and pulled her into a hug.

Six months later, Temari and Shikamaru welcomed Mieko and Rikyu Nara to their family. Their life changed dramatically. With two babies came double the responsibility. Most nights, Temari was in bed by nine and Shikamaru followed not long after.  
When the twins were ten months old, Chouji and Ino volunteered to baby-sit them so the parents could have a night out. The shadow ninja thanked his friends and had his wife pick a restaurant. She picked a quiet evening out and packed a picnic for the two of them.  
There were times when Temari became homesick, especially during the winter months when she longed to feel the hot desert sun on her skin instead of the biting cold wind. There were times when she longed to hug her brothers and talk to them and catch up on lost time. Shikamaru understood and made it clear that she could visit her home village any time she wanted, just as long as she never stayed away for weeks and weeks. Once, he even surprised her on her birthday by telling her that they were going to Suna for a visit.

Sometimes Temari would sit and wonder about what her life would have been like had she married the daimyo from Lightning. But when Shikamaru and the twins walked in, she banished those thoughts from her mind. Sure, there were ups and downs, but to her the ups far outweighed the downs.

But Temari still had no answer as to why she fell in love with Shikamaru, but the more she thought about it, the more she decided she didn't care. Not everything had to be dissected and examined and have an answer.

He loved her and she loved him. For her, that was a good enough reason.


End file.
